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VARTAN is committed to protecting endangered rainforests
Save the rainforest now opens in a new tabFor the conservation of biodiversity and wilderness
Since 2025, the VARTAN Group has been supporting the Wilderness International Foundation in its mission to protect the Earth’s last remaining intact old-growth forests. Through the VARTAN Forest in the Madre de Dios region of Peru, this valuable habitat for a vast array of species is now being protected and a stable climate promoted.
For today, for tomorrow, for all of us: let’s work together to preserve and nurture the VARTAN Forest.
Donations
have wilderness sponsors
m2 old-growth forest
protected for ever, thereby ensuring that
tonnes of CO2
remain permanently bound in the forest’s biomass
Community. Future. Growth.
The VARTAN.GROUP is an internationally active group of companies with its roots in the aviation industry, founded in Hamburg in 1997. The group brings together a large number of well-known companies under one umbrella, offering technical services, design, entertainment and catering solutions – both locally and globally.
As a symbol of our joint efforts – and to represent the impact of each and every one of us – we have protected a section of rainforest in our name. May it continue to grow – for you and for our world.
A glimpse into the VARTAN Forest
The VARTAN Group’s conservation areas are situated in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. There are 10 times as many reptiles and amphibians there as in Germany; around 10 per cent of all the world’s bird species can be observed here; and on one hectare of forest, one can find around 400 tree species – more than in the whole of Europe north of the Alps.
Madre de Dios from a bird’s-eye view: colourful macaws fly over the VARTAN Group’s conservation areas.
Capybaras inhabit the banks of the Tambopata – they are the largest rodents in the world.
In the Tambopata protected areas, giant otters – the world’s largest otters – find a safe home. Their species is critically endangered and urgently depends on the protection of this habitat.
The giant trees in the tropical rainforest are several hundred years old. Their massive buttress roots give them stability.
Golden Hour in the rainforest: Wafts of mist rise above the treetops – the forest begins to ‘breathe’.
Impact through innovation
Drones & Forest Conservation
Wilderness International uses drones as tools for research, conservation and maximum transparency. The foundation uses rapid assessments, LiDAR (laser scanning technology) and geodata analysis to map new protected areas and to document their CO2 sequestration capacity and biodiversity using eDNA.
Wildlife conservation from above
Through the use of state-of-the-art drone and LiDAR technology, Wilderness International’s conservation approach becomes measurable, verifiable and transparent: With high-resolution, georeferenced data, protected areas can be precisely mapped, biodiversity and CO2 sequestration can be scientifically analysed, and every donation can be linked to a specific square metre of forest.
Drones make it possible to collect eDNA in hard-to-reach areas using umbrella-shaped sample collectors – an innovation in non-invasive species monitoring that Wilderness International is developing and refining in collaboration with research partners.
High-resolution drone imagery provides georeferenced aerial photographs of our protected areas for mapping and transparency purposes – but also for accessible science communication and holistic environmental education.
LiDAR (laser scanning) surveys penetrate the canopy of the rainforest giants and capture the three-dimensional structure of the forest in order, amongst other things, to determine the biomass density on site without having to enter the forest.
Experience Interface
Immerse yourself in the world of the VARTAN Forest and discover the Tambopata rainforest in the interactive Secret Forest.
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Preserve this world for ever!
Would you like to help the VARTAN Forest continue to grow? Here’s how you can help preserve even more square metres of unique wilderness for the long term:
1. Select the size of your additional protected area.
Convert donation amounts, protected forest area and offset CO2 directly into one another.
m2
kg CO2
Your gateway to the VARTAN Forest
Immediately after making your donation, you will receive a personalised certificate detailing the piece of wilderness you have helped to protect, complete with geographical coordinates and a genuine aerial photograph.
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Transparency
Why old-growth forest protection with WI?
Wilderness International won over the VARTAN Group above all with its transparent and specific approach to the use of donations: a €1 donation protects 1m² of old-growth forest – and does so forever. Donors receive a certificate showing the geographical coordinates and an aerial photograph of the protected area, as well as a tax-deductible donation receipt.
About Wilderness International
The foundation, which has offices in Peru, Canada and Germany, acquires wilderness areas in a legally secure manner and protects them for the long term. These acquisitions are funded by donations, which ensure the long-term protection of the areas and enable environmental education projects and research into CO2 storage and biodiversity.
Find out more
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why is it important to protect the rainforest?
It is important to protect the rainforest because this is the only way we can halt species extinction and climate change. They are home to the greatest biodiversity in the world and store huge amounts of CO2. It is also important to protect rainforests because they are the basis of our existence: they provide us with clean air, clean water and a stable rainfall pattern. They also help to cool the surrounding environment. -
How can we ensure that the protected area is preserved for all time?
In Canada, we are aided by the high level of legal certainty and the legal framework, as well as the penalties – which even prohibit trespass – and the cultural and historical significance of property.
In Peru, we have also launched a forest ranger programme in collaboration with local people. We have put several measures in place to ensure long-term protection. Generally speaking, we visit the areas on regular expeditions to check that everything is in order. We also work with local partners who inform us if necessary. The donations per square metre also already include the costs of property tax.
The legal form of the foundation, unlike any other, enables it to fulfil a (charitable) purpose permanently and independently of external interests, thereby achieving the desired long-term effects. It is thus the most long-term organisational structure currently known. Not even states, companies or national parks are designed to last that long. This makes the foundation the only organisation oriented towards the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.
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Who is Wilderness International, and what does the organisation do?
Wilderness International is a non-profit environmental organisation with a single goal: to protect the Earth’s last remaining unique forests and wilderness areas for ever. To this end, Wilderness International purchases plots of land through registration in the land register, thereby ensuring their legally secure and permanent protection. The land purchases are funded by donations towards so-called ‘wilderness sponsorships’. Wilderness sponsors receive a personalised certificate stating the exact geographical coordinates of the protected forest area.
WI Germany and WI Canada were founded in 2008 by 25 people from six countries, representing 24 different professional fields and aged between 18 and 69. In 2019, the Peruvian organisation dedicated to protecting the tropical rainforest joined the initiative. Today, Wilderness International consists of three sister foundations:
In addition to the founding donors, Wilderness International Germany is supported by eight members of the Foundation Board, three members of the Executive Board, our operational team, many volunteers and countless donors, partners, sponsors and supporters. You can find out more on the “Wilderness International Germany” page.
At Wilderness International Canada, alongside Tobias Hürten and Kai Andersch, Marco Lou, Tyler Bruce and Stephen Gabrysh also work directly on the ground to manage our partnerships, land acquisitions, expeditions and the protection of our forest areas. Volunteers, donors and supporters are also actively involved here. You can find out more under “Wilderness International Canada”.
At Wilderness International Peru, the seven founders form the board of trustees. On the ground, the organisation’s president, Dr Chris Kirkby, works alongside a team of forest rangers and the rest of the operational team to oversee the protected areas, carry out research and biodiversity monitoring in the forests, the search for and purchase of new plots of land, and projects with local schools, communities and partners. You can find more information on the “Wilderness International Peru” page.
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What role does the tropical rainforest play in Peru?
More than half of Peru’s land area is covered by forests. This makes the country home to the world’s fourth-largest area of tropical rainforest – after Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia. In 2018, 87 per cent of this area was still virgin forest. The forests of the Amazon Basin are the largest contiguous rainforests on Earth. This means they are not only a huge CO2 sink, but also generate their own weather – a unique water cycle that carries rain from the Atlantic up to 5,000 km into the west of the continent. The only thing that sustains this water cycle is the vast extent of the contiguous rainforests.
At the same time, the Amazon rainforests play a vital role in cooling the surrounding environment and purifying the air of pollutants. Over the millennia, these rainforests have also produced the oxygen in the atmosphere that is essential for our survival. Furthermore, the rainforests in the Madre de Dios region are considered the most biodiverse place on Earth! Thanks to favourable climatic conditions and geological history, there are 10 times more reptiles and amphibians here than in Germany. Around 10 per cent of all the world’s bird species can be observed there, and on one hectare of forest you can find around 400 tree species – more than in the whole of Europe north of the Alps!
Unfortunately, however, the forest is under serious threat: according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), between 2015 and 2020 around 10 million hectares of tropical rainforest were lost each year, with the Amazon region suffering the most damage annually. In 2020 alone, an area of primary forest the size of Israel disappeared – that’s more than 22,000km2.
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How do you ensure the long-term protection of these areas?
We protect the areas we have selected exclusively by purchasing them and registering them in the land register, in countries with a high degree of legal certainty. All three international foundations (Peru, Canada, Germany) are registered as owners in the land register. The forest areas we have purchased as foundations can no longer be bought from us, and we are also no longer permitted to sell them.
The foundation’s organisational structure prevents the rights to dispose of the property from resting with a single individual and ensures its long-term survival. You can find out more about the longevity of the foundation concept here. Our articles of association stipulate that the plots of land must be left undisturbed and may only be visited for research and documentation purposes.
In Canada:
Due to their remoteness and the fact that the area is undeveloped, our protected areas in Canada can only be reached at great financial, material and time-related expense, and not without risk. Furthermore, the high level of legal certainty in Canada ensures that damage to land results in severe penalties. The British Columbia Trespass Act explicitly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted in court upon complaint, even if no damage has been caused. Furthermore, we visit and monitor the areas as part of regular research trips and have partnerships with local companies that support us. In Canada, we also benefit from the fact that property is held in very high regard for its cultural and historical value and is respected.
In Peru:
In Peru, we have Forest Guardians on the ground whose day-to-day duties include monitoring our protected areas and preventing unauthorised entry. By using drones, the Guardians can survey a larger area, and special sensors trigger an alarm instantly if, for example, a fire breaks out or the sound of chainsaws is detected. In addition, we work there with the organisation ‘Fauna Forever’, which also has a permanent presence on the ground and, as part of its research projects, patrols and monitors our areas.
Furthermore, the Forest Guardians are in direct contact with the local population, promote our conservation objectives within the community, erect information signs and actively work on community projects – such as our current agroforestry project – to show the local population ways to benefit from the rainforest without clearing it. Should a conflict nevertheless arise, we report poachers and other individuals acting illegally to the local law enforcement agencies (such as the police, lawyers and authorities), and work closely with them.